// --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// <copyright file="IForwarder.cs" company="Microsoft Corporation">
// The MIT License (MIT)
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// Copyright (c) 2014, Microsoft Corporation
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namespace Microsoft.Robotics.Runtime
{
    /// <summary>
    /// A strong-typed version of IForwarder. This version is public and visible to agents.
    /// </summary>
    /// <typeparam name="TMessage">The type of message to forward.</typeparam>
    public interface IForwarder<TMessage>
        where TMessage : AgentMessage
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Accepts a message that needs to be forwarded.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="message">The message to forward.</param>
        /// <param name="blockUntilDelivered">
        /// If true, the call blocks if the message cannot be consumed, e.g. because an older message is waiting to be delivered. 
        /// The default behavior is "fire and forget", e.g. to replace the older message.
        /// </param>
        void Post(TMessage message, bool blockUntilDelivered = false);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// A forwarder is an intermediate object that can accept some messages and forward them to some other object.
    /// </summary>
    public interface IForwarder
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Accepts a message that needs to be forwarded.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="message">The message to forward.</param>
        /// <param name="blockUntilDelivered">
        /// If true, the call blocks if the message cannot be consumed, e.g. because an older message is waiting to be delivered. 
        /// The default behavior is "fire and forget", e.g. to replace the older message.
        /// </param>
        void Post(object message, bool blockUntilDelivered = false);
    }
}
